Suspect Released From Hospital

The Hartford Courant

Richard Shenkman, facing multiple charges for allegedly kidnapping his former wife and holding her hostage at their South Windsor home, has been released by Hartford Hospital to the custody of the state Department of Correction.

He is being held, with bail set at $2.5 million, on 11 charges, including arson, in connection with the standoff Tuesday. A judge also has signed a warrant charging him with allegedly kidnapping his wife in Hartford. The warrant, which has yet to be served, carries $10 million in bail.

Police say Shenkman kidnapped Nancy Tyler at gunpoint in the parking lot of CityPlace, where she works, and forced her to drive to 96 Tumblebrook Drive in South Windsor, the house they once shared.

The two had been scheduled to be in Family Court in Hartford Tuesday morning, where a judge was expected to give Shenkman a final chance to turn the house over to Tyler as part of a divorce settlement or go to jail for contempt of court.

Tyler escaped from the house after being held for about 13 hours. Shenkman set the house on fire and was eventually captured by police. He was taken to Hartford Hospital.

Shenkman is being held at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield.